Zach Merwin, Sully Buttes, Basketball

March 20, 2008|By Ryan Deal

Personal Family: Parents, Wayne Merwin and Melissa Falcon; sisters, Crystal Merwin (24); brothers, Matt Dutt (22), Treigh Falcon (9), Ethan Falcon (7). Favorite athlete: LeBron James. Favorite team: North Carolina Tar Heels. Other sports: Football, golf and track and field. Hobbies: Hanging out with friends and family, going to the river, playing video games. Favorite high school player to watch growing up: “I liked to watch LeBron James play and I also liked to watch Joe Krabbenhoft from Sioux Falls Roosevelt. He was from South Dakota and he went to a big time college (Wisconsin) and it kind of showed that you don't have to be from a real big school to get there.” Most memorable athletic accomplishment: “Tying for third place at ESD golf when I played golf at Pierre when I was a freshman.” By Ryan Deal rdeal@aberdeennews.com Zach Merwin of Sully Buttes made the most of his first state tournament. The sophomore guard averaged 24 points in the three games and helped the Chargers finish third at the State B boys' basketball tournament at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen. Merwin was also named to the all-tournament team. For his efforts, Merwin has been named the American News Athlete of the Week. Merwin, who transferred to Sully Buttes from Pierre, started the state tournament by hitting a game-winning shot in the first round game against Tripp-Delmont/Armour. After the Chargers tied the game at 52-all, teammate Caleb Kemink stole the Nighthawks' in-bounds pass and spotted Merwin for a baseline jumper. “It felt good leaving my hand,” Merwin said. “I knew it was going in and it did and the whole crowd started cheering.” Sully Buttes lost to eventual champion White River in the semifinals 76-62, which was the same outcome and score from the first time the teams played earlier this season. That set up a third-place game against Irene-Wakonda/Armour, which Sully Buttes won 84-79. Merwin finished with 44 points, including nine three-point field goals in the game. The nine three-pointers breaks the previous State B boys' basketball state tournament record of eight set by Jason Brandner of Warner in 1993. “My teammates just kept telling me to keep shooting, and the shots that I was taking were falling in,” Merwin said. “Just hearing the crowd cheer when they announced that I had broken the most three-pointers in a game, that was probably the most memorable thing.” Merwin finished the game 9-for-12 from beyond the arc and had seven three-pointers by halftime. “I have never seen or heard of that,” Sully Buttes coach Lee Kinney said. “It was almost to the point where it was comical. Just everything he was throwing up was going in. He was getting pumped up and living off of it. It was pretty fun.”